1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a movable vehicle body panel and latch and in particular to a body panel with a clip latch that enables a large panel on a work vehicle, such as an agricultural combine, to be self-latched to an adjacent structure by simply rotating the panel to the closed position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern day agricultural combines have multiple body panels to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the vehicle and to direct airflow through the engine radiator as well as to prevent airflow to other areas where dirt carried by the air is undesirable. Many of these panels are movable from closed positions to opened positions to allow access for adjustment and routine maintenance. One example is the John Deere 9610 combine that has a large radiator door on one side that pivots about an upright axis adjacent the front edge of the door. When the door is opened by moving the rear of the door laterally outward, a ladder can be extended from the lower end of the door. The ladder allows an operator to climb to a horizontal platform carried by the door. From there, the operator can step to an engine platform on the combine.
Before stepping to the engine platform, it is first necessary to open an engine access panel to have enough room to step onto the engine platform. The engine access panel rotates rearward about a generally transverse horizontal axis adjacent the bottom of the engine access panel. The engine access panel of the 9610 combine is coupled to an adjacent stationary panel by a slide latch. The slide latch has a plate pivoted to the engine access panel with a slot therein. A stud carried by the adjacent stationary panel extends through the slot in the plate and moves through the slot until the stud reaches a stop formed by the end of the slot. An upturned portion of the slot at the slot end allows the plate to pivot downward when the panel reaches the open position to hold the engine access panel in the open position.
After a service operation has been performed, it is necessary for the operator to release the slide latch before descending the ladder so the engine access panel can be returned to it""s closed position. If the operator forgets to close the engine access panel until after the ladder has been returned to the stored position and the operator is beginning to close the radiator door, then the ladder must again be extended and climbed to release the slide latch to close the engine access panel. This is a nuisance for the operator.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a latch for the engine access panel that enables the operator to close the panel while standing on the ground. Thus, when the operator descends the ladder before closing the engine access panel, the access panel can be closed from the ground without once again climbing the ladder to release the latch.
The present invention includes a vehicle body panel rotatable about a lower horizontal axis that has a clip latch at the upper portion of the panel. The clip latch catches the edge portion of an adjacent stationary panel and traps the edge portion of the adjacent panel between the clip latch and an edge portion of the movable panel. The clip latch has a ramp surface engagable with the adjacent stationary panel to slightly deflect the movable panel away from the stationary panel until the ramp portion has cleared the edge of the stationary panel. After the clip latch clears the edge of the stationary panel, the movable panel returns to an undeflected position in which the edge portion of the stationary panel is trapped between the clip latch and the movable panel edge portion. The clip latch only locks the movable panel in the closed position. It does not latch the movable panel in the open position so that the panel can be moved from the open position to the closed position while standing on the ground. There is no need to release a latch to close the movable panel.
When the invention is used in the context of a combine, a radiator door panel along the opposite edge of the movable panel can subsequently be closed and carries a protruding stud that seats within a V-shaped plate on the movable panel to retain the opposite edge of the movable panel in the closed position.